By John Becker
Standing in the darkness of a field at 1 a.m. — my key light dead, a bug in my eye — I asked the questions we all ask in times of darkness: Why are we here? How did we get here?
In the 1950s, Arthur Miller answered those questions by writing The Crucible, transforming the fears of his time into art that still resonates today. Watching the absurdities of my own era, I started writing Deep End.
The narrative TV series follows strangers in a campground who discover they’re surrounded by a mysterious group of conspiracy theorists in the woods. Despite this, it’s mostly a comedy to reflect the absurdity of our age. As one of our cast, Vince Eisenson, put it: “Wearing a non-functioning headlamp in scenes of near total darkness gave me a feeling of delusional optimism.”
(Note to self: Contact manufacturers about merch — hats, T-shirts, car magnets — saying “Deep End: Delusional Optimists Only.”)
But Deep End isn’t just about what happens on screen; it’s about how we’re making it.
We’ve built a creative space that brings together some of the DC area’s most talented actors, who I maintain are as skilled as any in the country. Part of the fun of the series is finding your favorite DC actors in any given episode. We’ve partnered with local businesses like DC Pretzels, Honey Acres Farm, and Rockland Winery. Thanks to a grant from the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, we were even able to support a young woman in crisis — someone who lost both parents as a teen, cares for her younger brother with Down syndrome, and is living with PTSD.
Our 1st AD, Kellie Scott Reed, put it best: “It’s been cathartic to work in a space where you can express the ridiculousness of the human experience when all seems deadly serious right now.”
That’s the mission of Deep End: to offer light in a time of darkness. We want audiences to laugh, to think, and to feel hope. Or, as cast member Veronica Del Cerro described, to simply “be together as a group in the dark and sing and just feel like teenagers again.”
Actress Beth Hylton said, “I had more fun working on this project than should be legal: it was one of the most joy-filled projects I have ever worked on! The only real challenge was trying to get through all the scenes with enough usable takes — because we kept breaking (or corpsing) to laugh!”
You can watch Deep End now on Fawesome TV and YouTube. By subscribing and sharing, you’re helping show that art — and its power to create joy and resilience — still matters.
Surrendering to fear brings greater fear. Confronting fear brings healing. Laughing at it brings not only joy, but change.
America may feel like one big dysfunctional family, where fear and blame dominate. But through comedy, community, and creativity, we’re proving there’s another way forward. Join us in the deep end. In Beth Hylton’s words: “I am so grateful and proud to be part of the Deep End cast and community and maybe help forge a path of resistance through laughter.”
Watch Deep End now on Fawesome TV. Subscribe on YouTube.
THE AWARD-WINNING WRITER, CAST, AND CREW
Writer/Director John Becker has won three Individual Artist Awards from the Maryland State Arts Council, was awarded 1st place in a play festival at the Kennedy Center, was recently awarded a grant for Deep End’s artistic excellence and social impact, and many more.
1st AD Kellie Scott Reed was Assistant Editor-in-Chief of Roi Faineant Press. Aside from her film work, she is also a short story writer, poet, songwriter, and former host of the interview show A Word. Kellie is an indispensible part of our Deep End team!
Beth Hylton (Beth) appeared in Law & Order, House of Cards, a Thanksgiving sketch on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, and many others. She has also appeared in many theater productions, including an Off-Broadway production of Handbagged by Moira Buffini.
Vince Eisenson (Vince) has appeared on New Amsterdam, The Good Lord Bird with Ethan Hawke, Billions, The Endgame, Wonder Woman 1984, What Would You Do, and many others. Vince also has extensive theater experience.
Gerrad Alex Taylor (Lamar) appeared in MacBeth at the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, Great Expectations at the Everyman Theatre, The Skin of Our Teeth at Constellation Theatre Company, Metamorphoses at the Folger Theatre, and many others.
Veronica Del Cerro (Ashley) appeared in Othello at Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, DC, Oedipus in Greece, Dead Tree Gives No Shelter in Denmark, We, MacBeth in England, My Children! My Africa! at Studio Theatre in DC, and many others.
Debora Crabbe (Gabrielle) featured in several productions at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. She also appeared in School Girls: Or the African Mean Girls Play at Round House Theatre and Gloria at Theatre J. She hosted the National Portrait Gallery’s Facing Our History show through Fresh TV.
Alyssa Sanders (Anne) is an Artistic Director at Avant Bard Theatre in Virginia. She appeared in King Lear, Pride and Prejudice, The Tempest, and many others.
Christopher C. Holbert (Tim) appeared in Hamlet, Coriolanus, and Julius Caesar at Avant Bard Theatre. He appeared in A Clockwork Orange at Studio Theatre in Washington, DC, and To Kill a Mockingbird at Theatre on the Run.
Karen Vincent (Jessie) appeared in Guys & Dolls, Ragtime, and Into the Woods at Ford’s Theatre. She has also appeared at Imagination Stage, Adventure Theatre, Olney Theatre, and many more. She is also a cabaret vocalist, appearing in many venues in the Washington, DC, area.
Jon Watkins (Harley) appeared in HBO Films’ Something the Lord Made with Alan Rickman, Kyra Sedgwick, and Mos Def. He has appeared in many theater productions, as well as many music venues in the DC area as a musician/vocalist .
Anna DiGiovanni (Jenny) appeared in Age of Innocence at Arena Stage, Leopoldstadt at Shakespeare Theatre Company, Through the Sunken Lands at the Kennedy Center, Benevolence at Mosaic Theatre, and many others.
Nick DePinto (Fred) appeared in productions at the Kennedy Center, Ford’s Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Constellation Theatre, and many others. He appeared in the film Meant to Be Broken. Nick is also a voiceover actor and musician.
Bradley Klotz (sound) is an essential piece of our Deep End family. He has worked on many films, including The Lonesome Trail and Water in a Broken Glass. Brad is the unsung hero of Deep End!
For more information, visit Jouska Productions.